Melissa’s dance journey began at 4 years old with ballet, training primarily in the Cecchetti method. She began tap at age 7, and continued to train in both ballet and tap through age 14. During her high school and college years, she branched out into other forms of dance, training in East coast swing, Lindy hop, and ballroom dance. After graduating with her BS in Biomedical Science from CSUS, she returned to ballet and tap under the guise of musical theater. During this time she also trained in mat and reformer Pilates, learning techniques she now incorporates into her current dance class curriculum. She is now close to completing her MSc in Infectious Diseases from UoL, and firmly believes in the importance of incorporating both science and art in life. She adores teaching and adores her students, and is happy to be a part of the dance staff at McLaughlin. :)